Alabama

Solomon: It's a small SEC-Big Ten world after all on New Year's Day

The SEC and Big Ten wanted to own New Year's Day when they renegotiated their lucrative bowl deals last year. These three SEC-Big Ten matchups today -- plus the Sugar Bowl on Jan. 4 -- seem fitting.

All SEC and Big Ten eyes keep close tabs on the other, whether it's coaches' salaries, TV contracts or public posturing by their commissioners.

All skeptical eyes around the country have been on the SEC and Big Ten off the field as their marquee teams escaped NCAA bowl punishment.

So naturally, all viewer eyes have no choice but to watch the SEC and Big Ten play today.

When it comes to Disney's method of celebrating New Year's, it's a small world after all.

Alabama vs. Michigan State at noon on ESPN.

Florida vs. Penn State at noon on ABC.

Mississippi State vs. Michigan at 12:30 on ESPN2.

Throw in Arkansas vs. Ohio State on Jan. 4, and there's a true SEC-Big Ten challenge this year.

The pressure is on the Big Ten. Four games against the SEC without a national title at stake won't erase Ohio State's BCS Championship Game flops to Florida and LSU in the 2006 and '07 seasons.

But it would be a much-needed start. The Big Ten's reputation relative to the SEC is so low that the SEC West's fourth-place team is favored by 10 points over the Big Ten's tri-champion at the Capital One Bowl.

"Certainly the SEC is a premiere conference in this nation, and I think the Big Ten Conference is on equal footing to that respect," Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio said. "Some would argue, but it goes back and forth year to year."

Alabama coach Nick Saban said the quality of either league should not be questioned.

"If there's any difference at all it's probably the passion of the fans, not that the Big Ten fans don't have tremendous passion," Saban said. "They just have choices. They've had choices through the years. For a long time there wasn't any pro sports in the South so everybody sort of grew up identifying (with) their college team, and I think some of that passion still exists."

The Big Ten hasn't shaken the image of its best getting obliterated by the SEC's best with everything on the line -- and won't completely until the Big Ten is in that game again.

The Big Ten hasn't won it all since January 2003, back when American Idol was in its infancy, the U.S. was preparing to invade Iraq, and Barack Obama was a state senator. Since then, the SEC has won five BCS titles and had a perfect season go unrewarded.

When the Buckeyes got treated as a punching bag by Florida and LSU, a stereotype gained traction that the SEC is light years faster than the Big Ten.

"I don't think necessarily that Michigan State is like slow, as some people would say," Alabama offensive lineman Barrett Jones said. "I don't think that at all."

Said Michigan State offensive line coach Dan Roushar of Alabama's defense: "You look at the top of our league and you see those type of defenses with Ohio State and Iowa."

Overlooked by SEC fans in this debate is the inconvenient fact the Big Ten has a 16-15 bowl record against the SEC in the BCS era. The conferences have split their 10 bowl games since the SEC started its current run of collecting crystal trophies.

At some point, the SEC will falter in the biggest game, Ohio State's 0-for-forever skid against SEC teams in bowls will end, and the Big Ten will be top dog. There's too much money and pride at stake for the Big Ten not to regain its footing.

Until then, the storyline continues.

"In order to really look at conferences you'd have to take an all-star team and play them against another conference's, which might not be a bad idea," Dantonio said. "It would generate more money for the BCS."